Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an incident that took place between Mr X and a council employee. This is because Mr X has sustained insufficient injustice to warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained a Council employee interrupted him and behaved unprofessionally when he visited a council office to discuss his council tax bill.
2. Mr X also complained the Council failed to collect his last two direct debits and has not invested in the local area.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Mr X visited the Council to discuss his recent council tax bill and spoke with an employee he found unprofessional and who interrupted him several times. Mr X was particularly upset by this because he is neurodiverse.
7. The Council investigated but was unable to confirm what happened from the CCTV footage captured of the incident. The Council also said the employee’s perspective differed to Mr X’s view.
8. Mr X wants us to find the Council at fault. The Ombudsman will not use public resources to investigate matters where the complainant has not sustained significant injustice. In this case, the situation took place over approximately 15 minutes and Mr X has confirmed it was later dealt with appropriately. Any injustice Mr X has sustained due to this matter is not sufficient to warrant an investigation.
9. Mr X has also complained about his direct debit and the Council’s lack of investment in the local area. As there is no evidence these complaint points have been through the Council’s complaints process, these elements of the complaint are premature. It is open to Mr X to complain to the Council about them.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because he has sustained insufficient injustice to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman